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Ever have one of those weeks where everything is going wrong (like hellish work experiences, a broken tooth, power outages) and just keeps getting worse? And then you go to class and get thrown around and hit and beaten and you just feel GOOD about it?

Yeah, me too. Especially this Thursday. I could have hugged everyone after that class.

I'm in Kiel (Ger) at the moment, visiting a friend. I travelled there by night bus and only slept for three hours. There was an aikido class in the evening, and before class I felt really tired. After class; however, I felt completely rejuvenated.

What really got me was how good I felt despite some things going on in my brain that would normally kick of a bout of intense anxiety. I'd have some negative thoughts in the back of my head and just start smiling.

Now if I could only bottle that for use outside the dojo, I'll be set!

There are many times where I just don't feel that great (emotionally or physically) and I go to class because I know that I usually end up feeling tons better by the time class is over. Sometimes, the hardest part of training is getting yourself there, but if you can find a way to push yourself to go, you usually end up feeling all the better for it.

~Look into the eyes of your opponent & steal his spirit.
~To be a good martial artist is to be good thief; if you want my knowledge, you must take it from me.

So many times I have been tired, sore, upset or just feeling not much like training. Made myself get int the car and go to the dojo and it seems like the class is about always tailored for just what I needed that day. I leave feeling so much better, more positive, energized, less sore ore more sore but in a good way.

The past week Ive been really feeling tired. Last night especially so. I think that its partly that Ive trained hard for the past month or so to prep for testing and now its catching up with me. On top of that my allergies have gotten bad and breathing is a problem so I'm tired form lack of oxygen. Whatever last night was one of those I just really do not have the energy for a class at all and I was pretty stiff and sore from the weather changes. But I went anyway knowing that the outcome could only be good.

Well boy I am glad I didn't miss that class. Just me and one other student had Sensei all to ourselves and we took our time really exploring some things at a much slower pace. Not a lot of actual technique but the little things that lead to a technique working. Looking at some of the things we saw at Ikeda sensei's recent seminar in Ohio. I'd say it rates up there as one of the best training experiences I have had to date. Was so excited I was telling a freind about it today while we were horseback riding and shes really wants to come now and see this stuff in action for herself.

I guess I'm just odd. Sure sometimes I feel better after training, but a lot of the time if I'm tired before class I feel positively ill after class. Maybe it's because most of our classes are around two hours, one hours might be just the thing but two is just too much on a night like that...

Paulina it sounds like you are crashing during class. Maybe you need to look at how you are fueling your body for that kind of work. I do 2 hours of class as well and most times that I start having issues before its over is because I didn't correctly fuel my self for the energy load.

I was just thinking that same thing. I have a handful of almonds, or a nut/seed/fruit bar about an hour before class, and make sure I'm well hydrated. I also drink water during class now and then (or at least have it if I need it. Without the high-protein/high-fat snack I lose mental focus (even more easily than usual), and without the water I get dizzy.

Note I said on days that I'm already feeling tired before class. I think what it is is I'm seldom tired the way say an office worker might get tired, where you're tired of work but not really too tired to do something fun. When I'm tired I'm TIRED. And a class will only make it worse. I work at home so managing my meals isn't that hard.

Another thing is the feeling of wellbeing I get from doing my day job is something aikido can seldom compete with. Guess I don't do aikido to feel better.

but a lot of the time if I'm tired before class I feel positively ill after class.

Tired is one thing. ill is another.

I have two very physical jobs. I know what you mean by tired. Just would like to hear that your not tired to the point of feeling ill after classes. That kind of tired ,to me, is telling you something needs to change.

My last several classes I have been positively exhausted by the end of them. But I still felt pretty good when I walked out the door. Feeling tired and feeling good are not necessarily mutually exclusive.

Plus don't forget that endorphin release as a result of a good workout!

I agree that the endorphin release is certainly part of it. I believe there is another major part of it too; I could run two miles for the endorphin rush per se, but it wouldn't feel as good. I believe that cognitively, our natural opiates aside, having connected physically, mentally, and spiritually with a bunch of others feels really good in and of itself. A sense of camaraderie for let's say, an hour-and-a-half, can make me feel good in addition to the probable release of "morphine-within" (endorphin).